Road To Sakura
by eitherwiseorfool
Summary: Road To Ninja AU. After losing her parents to the dreadful Kyuubi, Sakura's one and only goal is to show her self worth and recognition as the daughter of the Hokage.
1. Chapter 1

Konohagakure, the Village Hidden In The Leaves, possessed the strongest military output in the great Land of Fire. The village was gifted in its populace of powerful shinobi clans and their ability to adapt, survive, and intimidate any who would dare attack their land. The village was formed by two of the oldest and most powerful clans this world would ever encounter, the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan. The two, after countless years of battling one another over the vast land, created a peace treaty that united the two clans together to create one of the first political landmarks in the Land of Fire. The village had amazingly withstood the three Great Shinobi Wars since it's making, reminding the shinobi world of its immense strength and unity. While the village faced off against any nation and shinobi that would put its people in danger, the village was under a greater threat than any before…

From within the village, the bright hues of orange and red lighted up the streets of the village and the intensity of the heat coming could be felt not only from the large flames eating up the buildings, but from the shinobi who stood drenching in sweat and awe at the colossal beast that looked down upon them. Taller than any building, larger than any tree or mountain, the ferocious beast let out a horrific holler towards Konoha, spitting out vile and death in its breath. It raged and throttled its gigantic red orange body insanely, displaying its powerful tails that created earthquakes as it slammed down mountains and trees flat. Men and women everywhere made haste around the beast, avoiding to be squashed under its large paws with their razor sharp claws or avoiding to be burned by the immense heat the beast itself expelled from his body.

"Where is Lord Hokage!?"

"The beast is approaching the center of the village!"

"Half our squad is down! We cannot stop the beast like this!"

"There is no time, we need Lord Hokage immediately!"

Shinobi and civilians flooded the road where the Hokage's tower stood, seeking out for shelter and safety from the village's most powerful shinobi. Since it's establishment, Konoha would be under the guidance and rule of the Hokage, the Fire Shadow. The Hokage was chosen based on not only their strength and skill, but on their wisdom, honor, and dedication to bring peace to the village and is often chosen by the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire and the previous Hokage. The Hokage was the absolute figure of authority and salvation for the people of Konoha and would always fight for their village until death. People crowded around the Hokage's tower, screaming and crying out for salvation against the terrifying beast that was destroying their land.

At the corner of the room during the entire discussion was observing a young girl with bright emerald eyes and soft pink hair. The young girl, no older than 5, looked up at the Hokage and the woman that stood by him. The girl stared at their lips as they moved and frowned upon what the jonin told them. Their conversation could not be heard though as her ears picked up the shouts and crackling of fire coming from the outside. She looked at the large window momentarily and saw the orange glowing of fire eating up trees and buildings while shinobi jumped from place to place avoiding the fire. The girl did not understand what exactly was going on but there was a sick feeling in her stomach. There was a feeling in her that ached out loud that something bad would happen and that something bad was happening.

"Sakura…"

"Sakura, remember that we are so proud of you, and whatever happens, remember that you are never alone." Her voice sounded solemn and guilty, but what the young girl did not understand was why the woman sported a gentle and comforting smile towards her. Everything around her slowed down as the woman and Lord Hokage both embraced the young girl together in an avalanche of tenderness. The girl stood with both her arms on the sides of her bodies, not sure what everything meant. They patted and kissed her head gently.

"Be brave Sakura." Lord Hokage whispered to her, removing his arms from her. Lord Hokage and the woman both gave one last look at the young girl before swiftly leaving the office in the blink of an eye. The young girl stared at the doorway where the two had left through, wondering when they would come back. She squeezed the necklace Lord Hokage had given her inside her small fist as her body began to shiver immensely and her eyes began to swell up with tear drops. She sniffled, startling the jonin Lord Hokage had instructed to protect her.

"Princess Sakura, please don't be sad, they will return-" Before he finished, a tremendous rumbling sound shook the room in its entirety as the shock wave of the beast's feral holler caused the windows of the room to explode violently one by one. The young girl, scared beyond all belief, cried out for her parents to return to her…

* * *

><p>A stream of sunlight and the chirping of crows filled the large estate of traditional and robust homes that belonged to Konoha's founding clans. The Uchiha compound was eerily quiet in the midst of the morning. At this time, the Uchiha elite would have been awake and squandering around the compound searching for the head of the clan to update on reports concerning the clan and the village. Today was different however. The largest building inside the compound was home to Fugaku Uchiha and his family. At the time however, the home was partially empty aside from two small boys who sat near the viewing area of their lush garden and pond. Around the entire garden echoed the hollow sound of a shishi-odoshi hitting against a stone after releasing its water.<p>

One of the boys, who seemed to be the oldest, bit his lip nervously while watching the sky as the sun rose. At first he wasn't to sure if his mind was playing trick on him or not, and while it was still dark, his inept vision could not make out what was hovering in the clouds above him. But now with the sky brightening up his view, he discovered that what he didn't wish he saw was right above him. The sky itself was setting a pale-blue shade but something out of the ordinary made it stand out. He followed the long puffs and streaks of grey and black that floated over his home as the smell of charred wood filled his nose. There had been a fire and a large one too. Something had been burned down.

On his lap laid a small head with unruly black hair, snoozing peacefully under the gaze of the older boy. The small child was his youngest brother and he was being taken care of by his older brother while their mother and father, the heads of the Uchiha clan, were out after being urgently called. The oldest boy put the pieces together and assumed that the village had been under attack. But by what, and what had been left, he did not know. The young boy on his lap moved a bit as his older brother placed a gentle head on his head to reassure him that he was still there with him.

"It's okay Sasuke, you're big brother is here to protect you.." He softly whispered to him just before two figures appeared from behind him. His gaze turned towards the figure where he recognized that it was his mother and father. His body relaxed at the presence of his parents but their faces told something that made his mood drop down again. Both of his parents had battle marks all over their uniforms and the dark circles under their eyes confirmed their deep exhaustion. He had never seen his parents in this condition. His mother kneeled beside him, kissing his cheek and picking up his younger brother from his lap, hoisting him over her shoulder.

"My sweet boys," she lovingly said. "Your father and I are here…"

The oldest stood up and turned around to face his father. The leader of the Uchiha clan, his father, usually was surrounded with an aura of authority, confidence and power. But he sensed other wise. He noted the painful grimace on his father's face along with the relieved tone of voice his mother spoke in. He looked up to his father with a stern look, knowing that he would answer him.

Fugaku let out an exhausted breath before leaning towards a wall and slowly sliding downwards, plopping down on the tatami mat below him. He looked at his wife, watching her be tender with their youngest son and then turned too look at his oldest.

"The village was attacked Itachi," he began. "The village was attacked by the Kyuubi, the nine-tailed demon fox," the oldest boy, Itachi, felt his stomach becoming upset at what his father mentioned. "Many have died…the village is in ruins…but we are victorious." It was wonderful news; the village had managed to survive the attack of the dreadful beast. But Itachi knew there was more.

"Father, what has happened..?"

His father turned his gaze away from his oldest son, "…the Hokage has died."

* * *

><p>The young girl, Sakura, opened her eyes slowly. She flinched at the blinding light above her and jerked her body upwards. Once her vision relaxed, she observed her surroundings but did not recognize where she was. It was a small room with white floors, walls and ceilings. There was a small window towards her right, where it showed the sun rising, marking the start of a new day. She looked down at herself and saw that she was tucked into a white bed and that she was wearing a white robe as well. She pulled her arm from under the sheets, and reached for her head when she felt something taped on her forehead. She poked at it slightly but flinched at the sudden sting of pain. There was a small bandage on the corner of her forehead but she did not understand why she had one.<p>

A figure walked into the room, making her jump a bit. It was an old man who she did not recognize. He had wrinkles that adorned his entire face, gray hair that was balding on his head but he sported a gray goatee as well. He wore a long white coat with a reddish uniform underneath. Sakura took note that he held a large red hat with the kanji reading of 'Fire' marked on its front side. She had recognized this hat from somewhere.

"Hah-," Sakura had let out a small whimper before the old man stood before her and laid his hand at the top of her head. He sighed softly and looked into her green eyes, knowing the news would be difficult to deliver so such a small child. "Princess Sakura," he began "realize that both your mother and father fought bravely in battle against the tailed beast that threatened our home." Sakura looked at him, not exactly following or registering what he was saying. She didn't understand why she was here, why he was here; all she had wanted to know was where her parents were. She was scared, in pain, and-

"Your mother and father are both dead."


	2. Chapter 2

Home did not feel the same anymore for Sakura, or, she thought, would never be the same. It had been a week after her parent's deaths but she felt like it had been an eternity since she had last seen them. She spent the entire day tucked into the covers of her parents bed, falling asleep or aimlessly looking around the room. She wondered, if they were really gone, if this was just a very long dream she was in. She was young but her thoughts beckoned her to go into that strange area of determining life and death. What happened after death? Was it painful? Thinking made her feel worse.

Lord Sarutobi would come by everyday to check up on her, to make sure the young girl was eating properly or that she had not run off somewhere. The elders suggested him to put her up for adoption since there were no relatives that could be contacted to take custody of her. He rejected and made himself personally in charge of her, but letting her live in her parents home. At least that was the most he could do for her. It would only be a years until she could go into the academy. Many of the village elders disagreed with Lord Sarutobi's decision of leaving Sakura by herself in her parent's home. Although Sakura would eventually follow her father's footsteps to become a shinobi, many viewed it as cruel to leave her mourning on her own. Lord Sarutobi, however, reminded them and himself that many shinobi in the village had been orphans from a young age and each learned how to fend for his or herserlf. Sakura was no different. He was confident she would be able to handle herself fine. She was, after all, the daughter of the Hokage.

Sakura heard the doorbell ring from under the sheets of her parent's bed and groggily made her way to the front door. It was Lord Sarutobi, as always, but the young girl had wanted the person behind the door to have had been her mother with a bright smile on her face, or her father with a bag of sweets just for her. She opened the door to let the old man in, "Good morning sir…"

"Good morning Sakura, how are you feeling today?" He had asked her while taking his shoes off and stepping inside. He noticed her appearance. Her eyes were swollen, her shirt and pants were wrinkled probably because she had been in bed for the whole time the day before, and her hair was messy. She looked paler and weaker every day. "Sakura, remember what we had talked about. I know you are young and still very sad about your parents, but remember that you will eventually become a shinobi, and therefore you must be able to take care of yourself properly. Have you been eating well and plentiful?"

Sakura looked down on the floor, avoiding Lord Sarutobi's gaze. "I can't eat, my stomach hurts a lot," she said with a small sniffle. Her throat had gone dry and tears began to form in her swollen and bloodshot eyes. She had been crying almost every day now. At first it was spastic hyperventilation to the point where she had fainted various times. Now it had just turned into a silent pouring of her tears, most of the times she did not even realize the tears that would drop from her cheeks. She began to sob quietly. "I miss…my mom…and dad…"

Lord Sarutobi sighed disappointedly. "Sakura, understand. You need to keep your strength and your morality up. I understand that the loss of your parents is very difficult, but you will eventually become a shinobi. You cannot stay here and let your tears speak for you forever. If not you will only become weak." Sakura heard those words and stopped sobbing completely. She froze. "You cannot let your emotions hold the best of you. Your father, the Fourth Hokage, would be disappointed in you."

Sakura began shaking. Her tears of sadness now had turned into tears of anger. She flicked her head upwards towards Lord Sarutobi and stared angrily at him. "Go away!" She pushed him to the side and ran to her parents room and slammed the door. "Go away! Go away! Leave me alone!"

Lord Sarutobi, unaffected by Sakura's sudden outburst, cleared his throat and made his way out of the Haruno's home.

* * *

><p>It had been weeks since the attack on Konoha and the village had regained its strength back fairly well. Destroyed buildings had been reconstructed bigger and sturdier. Forests crushed by the immensity of the battle had been replanted and cleaned up. Proper accommodations for those affected by the battle had been handled and resolved. Every citizen in the village had recovered well from the battle. Lord Sarutobi, despite having been retired, had reclaimed back his position as Third Hokage until a suitable shinobi claimed the title for the Fifth Hokage. For now, Lord Sarutobi focused his energy in rebuilding the village into a safer and stronger environment for his citizens.<p>

The Feudal Lord for the Land of Fire, after having heard the tragedy that happened in Konoha, had traveled to meet personally with Lord Sarutobi to discuss the cost of rebuilding, safety measures, and the political effects that the appearance of a tailed beast would create. Konoha would soon become a target for investigation from other countries. Where did the tailed beast come from and where did it go? Who had control of it? Where there other tailed beasts on the loose? Questions had been left unanswered, and Lord Sarutobi knew that Konoha would need to be ready for another oncoming attack. Him and the Feudal Lord discussed this unsettling issue for days, and the shinobi of Konoha could feel the unsettling mystery and uncertainty in the air.

Itachi Uchiha, a ten year old genin prodigy at the top of his class, and the crown Uchiha jewel, chewed a stick of pink bubble gum as he waited patiently at the lobby of the Uchiha Police Department for his father Fugaku. Ever since the attack, the Hokage had urged the Police Department to begin the process of interrogating suspicious criminals that had threatened the safety of the village. The Hokage had also urged Fugaku to begin enforcing stricter laws concerning outsiders and non-natives, and to overall upgrade and better the safety of the village. Being the son of the chief of police, Itachi's attendance to these police meetings was imperative. Soon Itachi would become police chief when he would come of age, and he needed to understand the ethical and political issues that came to keeping a village and its citizens safe. But for now, the young boy, despite him understanding well the importance of his presence and the situation, was waiting to speak to his older cousin Shisui Uchiha about his enrollment in the Chuunin Exams. Itachi thought that a change of topic with his cousin would benefit them both well. It was something both of them could look forward to, he thought as he blew a large bubble of gum.

Itachi, unfortunately, had felt a familiar jolt of chakra appear in front of him as he blew a large bubble and before he knew it, Shisui Uchiha had appeared in front of him with a grin on his face, popping Itachi's bubble and having it splatter all over his face. "You have to be more cautious Itachi! Who knows what might have caught you off guard cousin."

Itachi blinked and wiped the gum off his face, feeling a bit embarrassed about the ordeal. "I don't think you should be using your Body Flicker technique for tricks against me Shisui," Itachi began lecturing his older cousin while giving out a small nervous chuckle.

"I'm surprised you even fell for it! Usually you are more aware of when I'm going to appear in front of you. What is the matter Itachi, do you got something on your mind?" Shisui could tell that Itachi had been daydreaming about something.

Itachi was a bit shocked to hear what Shisui said. "Ah, am I that easy to read? Actually, I did want to talk to you about something exciting! I just registered for the Chuunin Exams yesterday." Itachi let out a large smile on his face. He had been excited to disclose this news to his cousin, not because of the exam itself, but because he would be able to spend time training with Shisui. Ever since Shisui had been promoted to Chuunin, he had been assigned on more lengthy and dangerous missions. Itachi had gone weeks without seeing his best friend, and it had crushed him dearly. But he knew that Shisui would more than likely help him prepare for the exams.

He needed some positivity from his cousin as well. Ever since the attack on Konoha, the Military Police Department had been on edge. Itachi could feel the tenseness of his father's chakra and the tenseness of the environment of the police station. He wished that everyone would have been more relaxed and happy that Konoha was beginning to build its roots up again. More so Itachi wanted his father to be excited for his entrance to the Chuunin exams and for his younger brother Sasuke, who would soon enter the ninja academy next year as well.

"Ooh! That's great news Itachi! That means we gotta get back on track on training with one another. I have been falling a bit behind on my taijutsu as well…" Shisui told his cousin while chuckling. "Oh that reminds me Itachi, I want you to accompany me later this afternoon."

"Of course I will, but for what?"

"Well, my mother wanted me to deliver some sweets to someone, but I've never really seen or talked to that person per se…" Shisui said nervously.

"Who is it? Maybe it's someone familiar."

"My mother said it was the daughter of the Fourth…she said that she has been living on her own after the Hokage's sacrifice and she wanted me to deliver some sweets to her…apparently she's around Sasuke's age too. Maybe you can bring Sasuke along so they can become friends! That stubborn kid that is your brother needs some socializing."

"The daughter of the Hokage, huh?" Itachi had heard that the Fourth had a young daughter that was now orphaned, but he had never seen or met her before. He didn't think Sasuke knew who she was either. "But sure, we can go get Sasuke and deliver that to her…do you know what her name is?"

"Eeeh I think it's like Sachi or something like that," Shisui said. "Who knows, as long as we get Sasuke a girlfriend and he can stop clinging on you so much."

Itachi pouted a bit. "Don't speak like that about Sasuke, he's just young and curious. Any who I doubt that Sasuke is anywhere near interested in girls."

"I only tease you my dear cousin! Now let's go in this meeting before your overbearing dad gets mad at me."

* * *

><p>Sakura stared out the windowsill from her parent's bedroom and watched the sun slowly set behind the vast forest surrounding the village. She had taken a shower, cleaned up, and ate a large bowl of ramen with pork and vegetables, enough to make her small belly protrude in fullness. She had promised the Hokage to take care of herself more and to become strong like her mother and father. She saw her reflection on the window and saw her small round face and soft pink hair. The Hokage had told her that she had looked very weak, very unlike a shinobi. She furrowed her brow and puffed out her cheeks. The Hokage, nor did anyone, understand what she had been going through. It made her mad, for him to assume that about her. It's not like he knew who she was.<p>

"I am a shinobi…" She told herself quietly. "I am the daughter of the Fourth Hokage…" She began to get louder. "I am Sakura Haruno!" She stepped down from the windowsill and jumped on her parent's bed with a fist in the air. "I will become a strong shinobi! I will beat up anyone who tells me that I am little and weak! Hya!"

The fired up little girl began jumping up and down on the bed, kicking and punching the air while yelling out battle cries. She felt her heart jolt up and down in joy and in anger. "Stupid old man Hokage! I will show him!" Lord Sarutobi's words had struck Sakura very deeply. Yes, Sakura was just a young girl with a small stature, but making that comment about her being weak and not being able to honor her father and mother properly had triggered and awakening in her. How could Sakura not be able to honor the two most important people in her life? Especially after they had sacrificed themselves for her. In her small fit, Sakura heard the doorbell ring once more.

"It's that stupid old man! I will show him!" Sakura dashed towards the front door at full speed and opened the door. "I told you to leave me ALONE!" She rammed herself headfirst into who she believed was Lord Sarutobi, but was instead ramming herself into an unsuspecting Uchiha boy. She heard a loud grunt and she impacted her head into the soft belly of Itachi Uchiha as he fell backwards with her ontop of him.

"Brother! Get off of him you freak!"

Sakura heard the voice of a young boy and looked up, only to see an older boy with long black hair in a pony tail looking down at her with eyes wide open. Sakura felt her face go red and the large bowl of ramen that she had eating early began to rise up her esophagus.

"Wah..wah…" Sakura was speechless at the scene in front of her. It was not Lord Sarutobi who was standing there but three boys looking at her in shock and awe. The youngest of the three, who looked about her age, stared angrily at her.

"Get off Itachi you dummy!" He said as he began to push Sakura off Itachi, only to become covered in ramen, pork and chunks of vegetables. Sakura Haruno had thrown up on Sasuke Uchiha.


End file.
